Leave our death notice website alone
How much would you pay to publish information about your partner's funeral online? The question has made many Irish headlines in the past month, ever since Ireland's death notice website announced a new controversial €100 fee per post.
RIP.ie allows funeral directors to post death notices on behalf of families. People can access information regarding the wake and funeral, post condolence messages, buy memorial gifts in the e-shop or get practical information – from organ donation and legal advice to writing a eulogy.
It ranks among Ireland's most popular websites, with an estimated 250.000 daily visitors. It's so popular because of its importance in Irish mourning culture. In Ireland, funerals happen up to three days after a death occurs, and it is a true community gathering, with people often travelling from abroad. That makes it essential to have easy-access information on the ceremonies' locations or to be able to pay your condolences if you cannot attend.
The charge has caused quite a stir, as there are worries the €100 fee will drive up the costs of funerals for bereaved families. Since it was announced, three alternative platforms have been launched, offering the same services for free. Some even demand the government to launch its own free-of-charge death notice platform.
But fragmenting the market could lose the essence of RIP.ie. Its monopoly position, and how quickly the death notices were put up, turned the platform into a reliable live mortality tracker. It has even proven more reliable than Ireland's official death register. Some worry that having more than one website will make information harder for elderly people to access.